Certain electronic components have a body portion with a plurality of leads extending therefrom. In the fabrication of the final component, the unformed planar leads will be formed into a generally Z-shaped configuration, i.e., having an upper horizontal portion emerging from the body of the electronic component, a lower foot portion, upon which the electronic component will rest when joined to the circuit surface, and an intermediate transverse portion.
A critical dimension to be generated in the forming process is the clearance dimension, that is, the vertical distance between the plane of the foot portion and the bottom surface of the body portion of the component. Variation will occur, however, in the point at which the leads emerge from the body of the component. Unless compensation for this variation is provided in the elevation of the intermediate transverse portion of the formed lead, unacceptable variation in the clearance dimension will result.